Wednesday, October 29, 2014

A Look at our Life



This is how Malai likes to fall asleep - silly girl!

Mbale

Karlie rode a camel.  I only wish I had video of our kids running in fear as the very crabby camel made lots of noise and went where it wanted to.  It was a very funny sight.

Becoming an African girl

Wednesdays we go and greet someone.  It is so good to meet our neighbors and see the homes of our church members in Obulle.



The school at our church is preparing for nursery school graduation.  The kids had fun trying on the gowns.



Almost every evening our kids play games with their friends.  I love watching them play.


Our little football player

We celebrated Grace's 9th birthday Oct. 11

I made her an apron

We love you Gracie!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Sickness Continues

October 21

We are sorry to keep writing but we are so tired and down with all the sickness around here.  Luka is sick for the third time in one week.  He is down on the couch, white, fever, throwing up, congestion, ear pain sometimes... He is such a stinker though and REFUSES to take any medicine.  We are trying to figure out weather to start an antibiotic or what to do.  Pray for Luka to be healed of whatever it is he has.  Malai still has a cold but the fevers have stopped.  We wonder if we should put her on an antibiotic for a sinus infection or ear infection but don't know.  Josh's whole body hurts and he doesn't feel well with a cold and fever too.  My body hurts too, not as bad as Josh's, and just don't feel good.  I fell yesterday and twisted my ankle too.  I could hardly walk this morning but thankfully I could after a while.  

We are a mess.  We'd like to get away but we don't feel well enough to go anywhere.  We'd love to be in Michigan where we could see the doctor and be cared for by Grandparents :).  I think we are just discouraged with everything we have been going through lately.  

Thank you for praying for us!  We are encouraged knowing we are not alone and being lifted up to the Lord.  

Oct. 23 Update

Well we praise God Luka was healed from his sickness and is back to playing.  However, Josh and I both ended up with the flu.  My body hurt so bad even my fingers hurt and I had fevers that left me shaking (cold) then sweating.  It was awful!  This is the first time in two days I am able to sit upright.  Josh was miserable at the same time and we spent all of yesterday and most of today in bed.  How thankful we are for Lydia, Grace and Karlie to help while we were down and out.  It is no fun being sick.  And of all things I had scheduled for our kids to go to a friends house all day today so Josh and I could have an in home date.  We were all so bummed to have to cancel.  Thanks for continuing to pray for us.

 

Monday, October 13, 2014

Esther Eye



Oct. 13, 2014

This is Esther.  She is one of our neighbors and a good friend of our children.  Esther is about 13 years old and has a quiet, sweet nature with a great smile.  The other day we noticed something was wrong with her eye.  It is clouded over, painful, and sensitive to light.  She said it was injured when grass got in it.  It took awhile to get the whole story but from what we gathered she got a piece of grass in it two years ago (!) and the problem comes and goes.  We all prayed for her and asked God to heal her eye.  We also gave her sunglasses which she wears everywhere to protect her eye. 

Grace was crying that night for her friend Esther.  It was on all of our hearts.  We love Esther and did not want to see her loose her sight.  We all prayed some more and knew we wanted to at least try to help her. 

Today Esther, her dad, our neighbor (to translate), Grace, Malai and I went to the hospital.  After waiting an hour and a half we saw a doctor who felt it was cataracts and told us to go to the eye doctor.  We went to the clinic where he was suppose to be but they said he was at the main hospital so we went there.  Thankfully the doctor got us in right away.  The nurse had Esther read the letter board to check her vision.  It was so sad to see her unable to see out of the injured eye.  She could only see when the nurse was waving her hand one foot away from her.  The good thing is her good eye saw very well.  When she saw the doctor she could not see his hand or light at all.  He said she is blind in that eye from an infection that was not treated.  Actually, after asking the father it was treated with bush medicine which the doctor told him is like poison and may have caused the blindness.  I wanted to cry.  I confirmed over and over that nothing could be done.  Asked why she had pain and the light hurt it.  He gave her some medicine for the eye and told us to come back after one month to see if there is any nerves left (or something like that?). 

Oh sweet Esther was now wiping away tears.  I gave her a hug and tears welded up in my eyes.  How do you feel when you just find out you are blind in one eye and will never see again?  It seems grieving here isn’t acceptable.  They will say don’t cry.  Where are the hugs and I am sorry?  As I hugged Esther I reminded her that she still had one eye that saw very well, that God could still heal her eye, and that she was still good and God loved her.  I wish I could fix it for her but I can’t.  I know God will use this too. 


So pray for Esther with us.  Pray that God does a miracle and gives her sight again (faith!).  Pray for God to give Esther peace and courage knowing she is blind in one eye.  Pray also for her father to come to know Christ.  Her mother goes to church but her father doesn’t.  Hearing that bush medicine was used on her eye is always so discouraging and a reminder of the stronghold satan has on people.  May David (father) see Jesus love and power through this and give his life to Him. 

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Our School

I just wanted to share some picture from our classroom.  The kids are doing great - and like it too!  Lydia is in 6th grade - Middle School!  Grace is in 4th grade and Luka started Kindergarten.  Luka is doing great.  He loves math and can add and subtract in his head already.  Karlie is doing a wonderful job as teacher.  We are thankful for the time she invests into it and her friendship with our kid outside the classroom.  Emalai is a bit lost with everyone in school.  She is known for sneaking in and Karlie can't say no to her cute face.  I am thankful for a teacher and for all the learning and fun they are having together in school.








Thursday, October 2, 2014

School

Just wanted to share some pictures from the school our church in Obule started.  Some of you may remember Josh spoke about this school when we spoke at churches this summer.  Pray for good education in Obule.  Pray for someone to walk alongside and empower educators here.  Pray for the leaders of our church as they desire to see this school equip children in education and in the Word of God.  There are many challenges to overcome but if God is with us who can be against us?  One last thought, be thankful for the school and education you received.  It is a blessing.